THE PAIN IN YOUR BRAIN

Whether you stepped on a sharp object or broke your arm, it will not be painful until your brain decides so. The brain collects information through nerves and receptors to help determine what sort of response it will provide. For example, someone softly stroking your arm may be interpreted by the brain as pleasurable, but as the pressure of the stroke is increased, there will come the point where the mind will decide to change it’s response to painful one. This is the most crucial point you need to understand in trying to deal with pain, that nothing is painful until the brain says it is.

NEUROMODULATION AND NEUROPLASTICITY

There are only two ways we can treat pain, neuromodulation and neuroplasticity. Let’s begin with neuromodulation, changing the signal the nerves send to the brain. We have two choices to decrease pain with neuromodulation. First we can reduce the painful signal. This is the most obvious way and the main approach to pain management. Usually, they will administer a strong drug that will temporarily stop the painful nerve signal. Something as simple as putting an ice pack on the area hurting works in the same way. There are many examples. Secondly, we can leave the painful signal coming from the injury but increase the number of nonpainful signals entering the brain. This is what happens when you quickly rub your elbow after it is bumped against the door. The rubbing activates nerve receptors that register light touch, and its signal overrides the painful one. To work the new sensation must be very strong and not painful. When Dr. Pham worked for me, he would use a small vibrator on the patient’s legs before inserting the needle. The vibration decreased the pain from the injection site, and most patient’s never felt a thing. Similarly, if your right knee hurts when you walk you could perform exercises with the left knee, thereby sending nonpainful signals to the brain along the same nerve pathways as the injured knee and thus reduce the pain. It is exciting stuff, and patients think it’s crazy until they try it and see the results.

Another way to reduce pain is neuroplasticity. This is the brain's ability to change how it interprets information. Until a few years ago neuroplasticity was not accepted as possible. Today we see people who have part of their brains removed and in the time remaining part will rewire taking on the removed parts job. In some cases, things like taste or and sight are suddenly restored through neuroplasticity. I remember a patient who lost the ability to speak from a stroke, but with proper therapy, she was able to retrain the remaining part of her brain to take on that role, and she was eventually able to speak again. Training the Cerebellum is a great way to increase neuroplascity. The cerebellum is the area of the brain that is responsible for balance and hand-eye coordinated movement, the cerebellum, also has a profound effect on how the brain determines if something is painful. So by exercising your cerebellum, you can decrease your pain response. Neuroplasticity is an exciting science that we are just starting to understand. We are still learning how it works, but the results are nothing short of stellar.

Hopefully this short article has offered some hope to treating chronic pain whether you are a patient or doctor. There is no cure for the chronic pain patient instead treatment is focused on making them healthier, and over time they get better. If you're confused, contact me in the comments section or call me at (239) 275-7575 and schedule a consultation to review your case.

PLEASE LIKE AND SHARE THIS POST

My goal is helping people live incredible lives. I am dedicated to changing the perception of what is possible with new ideas and energy. Share this article with someone you know and contact me if I can be of further help. I am yours in service.Say hello by leaving a message or comment below.